Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-10-22
Conversation.

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- touch. be cause many people under
stand conversation 10 be- talk; not
The exchange of ideas. but Of words;
and the Drawer would not like 20 say
anything 10 increase the flow OF the lat
ter. We read Of times and salons In
which real conversation existed. held
by men anil women. Are they alto
gcther in the past? We believe that
men do sometimes converse. Do wo-
men everP Perhaps so. Ia those hours
sacred to the relaxation of undress and
the back hair. In the upper penetralia
OF the household. where two or three or
six are gathered together on and about
the cushioned frame intended for re-
pose, do they converse, or indulge In
that sort of chat from which not one
idea is carried awayg No one reports.
fortunately, and we do not know. But
do all the women like this method of
spending hour after hour, day after
day-indeed, lifetime? Is 1t in
yigorating, even restful? Think of the
talk this past summer, the rivers and
oceans OF il, on piazzas and galleries in
the warm evenings or the fresher
mornings, in private houses. on hotel
yerandas, in the shade of thousands of
cottages by the sea and in the hills! AS
you recall it, what was 1t all about?
Was the mind in a yapid condition af-
ter an evening of itp And there is so
much TO read. and so much TO think
about, and the world Is so interesting,
If you do think about it, and nearly
every person has some peculiarly Of
mind that would be worth study il you
could only get at il! 1t is really. we
repeat, such an interesting world, and
most people get SO little out of it. Now
/ there is the conversation Of hens. when
/ the hens are busy and not self-con-
scious; there is something fascinating
about it. because the imagination may
invest 1t with reconcile and spicy
meaning; but the common talk of peo-
! pie! We infer sometimes that the hens
are not saying anything, because they
do not read. and consequently their
minds are empty. And perhaps we
are right AS to conversation. there
is no use in sending the bucket into the
well when tho we'll is drY--it only
makes q rAttlIng Of windlass and chain.
The Drawer docs not wish to be un-
derstood as an enemy Of the light
traffic Of human speech. Deliver us
from the didaclic and eyerlastingly inn
proved style Of thing! Conversation in
order TO be good. intellectually inspir-
ing, and spiritually restful, need not
always be serious. 1t must be alert
and intelligent. and mean more by its
suggestions and illusions than is said.
There is the light touch-and-go play
about topics more or less profound
that is as agreeable as heat lightning
In sultry evening. Why may not a
person express the whims and vagaries
Of lambert mind Gf be can get LAM
bent mind without being hauled up
short for il, and plunged into heated
dispute? la the freedom of real con-
yersaiion the mind throws out half
thoughts. paradoxes. for which a man
Is not to be held strictly responsible TO
The very roots OF his being. and which
need TO be caught mp and played with
10 the same tentative spirit Tho dis
puie aud the hot argument are usually
the bane OF conversation and the death
Of originality. We like to express a
notion, fancy, without being called
upon to defend it then and there in
all its poss bic consequences. as II il
were an article in creed or plank in
platform. Must we be always either
vapid or seriousP
The Drawer has been obliged to take
notice OF the extraordinary tendency
1 OF American women to cultiva-
ton. TO the Improvement of tho
mind. by means of reading, clubs.
and other intellectual exercises.
and to acknowledge that they are leav-
ing the men behind; that is. the men
not In the so-called professions. Is
this Standardization beg ming to
show in the conversation of women
when they are together, sas in the
hours OF relaxation In the penetralia
spoken of, or in general society," Is
there less talk about the fashion OF
dress. and the dearness or chespness OF
materials aud about servants. and the
ways Of the inchoato cit zen called the
baby. and the infinitely little details OF
the private life Of other people? Is il
true that If group of men are talking,
saw about politics, or robust business,
or literature. aud they are joined by
woman (whose company is always well
come). the conversation is pretty sure
TO take lower mental plane, to be-
come more personal. more frivolous,
accommodating itself to quite differ.
ent ranger Do the well read, thoughtful
women. however beautiful and brilliant
and capable OF tho gavest persinage,
prefer TO talk with men, to listen TO the
conversation of men, rather than to
converse with or listen to their own
scxP II this is trnc why is itp Women,
as rule. in society" at any rate.
have more lcisuare than men. In the
facilities and felicities OF speech they
commonly excel men, aud usually
they have more Of that yivac Gus
dramatic power which is called "set
ting out thing to the life With
all these advantages, and all the world